The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-11

ut maynG matter much 10 you,
Tad" he said, very tenderly and rev.
erently, "but it matters Considerable to
Him that's watchin' you from up aloft,
for if He hadn't some sort of sailin'
orders for you, He never'd "A sot you
adrift on this here sea of life. Now,
my lad" Captain Flagg continued,
.impressively, ''Only for your overhaul
sin' and runnin' down that priyateerin'
chap under false colors, I'd have lost
fhe ships papers, and nigh forty dol
liars in clean cash, to say nOthin' Of the
good turn you did Polly here, this
smornin', which amt like to forget.
And, summin' it all up" said the Cap
tain, patting blushing Tad on the
shoulder, i've made up my mind to
give you
"No, sir," interrupted Tad, with q
decisive shake of the head, Il didn't
want any thing for what I've done"
ITO give you-a chance aboard the
Mary ito be-e-e-e gallant
-sailyer bO-O-O-o-y.'" Trolling out the
concluding words, which were re-
,miniscence of some old sea-song, in a
deep voice, that might have come from
his cavernous boots, the Captain leaned
back in his chair, and beamed
benevolently upon Tad, who did not
seem quite as much overcome by the
magnitude of the offer as one might at
FIRST suppose.
I'm ever so much obliged, Capt'n
Flagg," faltered Tad, conscious that
Polly was waiting for his answer, with
look of pleased expectancy in her
bright face, ''but I'm afraid -
THAT you'll be sea-sick? Oh, that's
nothing you'll get right overit, " broke
in Polly, with impetuous assurance.
And so well assured did both father and
daughter seem to feel that Tad would
jump at the proffered honor. that Tad's
half-uttered refusal died away on his
lips.
''All right, sir, I'll do my best" said
Tad, sturdily; and, slapping him jovial-
lily on the back, Captain Flagg de-
>clared that nobody could do more than
shat.
81 began to the very sheerpole my
self, explained the Captain, in the
fulness of his heart, land, when / was
your size, was raftin' logs to a mill;
then | pulled bow-oar in gund' low,
and after I'd gone two or three trips to
the Banks, shipped SIS fo'mast hand
in a coastin' vessel. / was q good
many years workin' myself from the
fO'c'sle to the quarterback, said Capt
ain Flagg, with solemn shake of his
head, "but done it, and now I'm en-
mander and owner of quarter of the
Mary j.
If good Captain Flagg had been
master of a two-thousand-ton Al full
rugged clipper, he could not have
spoken with more conscious pride than
in this simple narration, and after re-
garding him with admiring awe, as one
TO whom the wonders and mysteries of
the sea were an open book, Tad glanced
~curiously around the cabin.
1t was quaint little interior, with
curtained berth on either side, and
state-room, rather larger than good
sized dry-gOOds box, at the back of the
steps leading down from the deck,
which was occupied for the present by
Miss Polly Flagg, who was making her
vacation voyage with her father, as
reward of merit REINFORCEMENT in her
studies at the Bixport town school. The
main-mast, which ran up through the
cabin floor and roof about midway, had
nails driven in it on which were
hung the Captains oil-clothes and Pol
ly's big sun-bonnet. A sort of folding
table, attached to the after-part of the
. mast by a hinge, could be turned up
out of the way when not in use. A
dingy-faced clock, like big letter o,
looked down from the wall, while OPP
posite was a highly-colored lithograph
representing the once famous clipper
''Dreadnought'' blowing through very
green seas under a very blue sky.
There was no carpet on the floor,
which, however, was scrupulously
'clear, while three chairs, in various
stages of dilapidation, composed the
entire stock of furniture; but to Tad it
was one of the most delightful places
imaginable, and he longed for bedtime
to come, so that he could stow himself
away in the little berth which had been
assigned to him by Captain Flagg.
"All hans on deckr' gravely an
anounced the Captain. as the city clocks
struck one.
Ephraim, who had been stretched at
length on one of the lockers, gathered
himself up, and, motioning Tad to fol-
low, climbed leisurely up the COM
apanion-way.
''We're goin' to get under way this
: afternoon" said Eph, land there's a
stremendous lot of things to do;-let's
ssee-what'll we take holt of first?"
Eph looked listlessly about him, and
then, thrusdng his hands in pockets,
leaned against the rail in meditative
attitude. Captain Flagg came forward
land squinted aloft at the little masthead
pennant, after which he followed the |
sexample of Eph. Polly, recovering the
small dog from the galley, where
George Washington was singing a
Methodist hymn as he washed the din
ner-dishes, sat down with it in her |
sarms, on a coil of rope. And Tad, look
ing silently on, began to think that the |
shardships of a sailors life had been |
sgreatly overrated.
Rv and by NaDta;n Elooor ro,,oa,.l-o3 |